


Something Just Like This

by RogueishDreamer



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Badass Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, F/M, He has no idea what he signed up for, Hot Mess Adrien Agreste, Identity Reveal, Mostly Adrien's POV, Nanny Adrien Agreste, Slow Burn, single parent
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-21
Updated: 2019-11-25
Packaged: 2020-12-27 07:27:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21115001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RogueishDreamer/pseuds/RogueishDreamer
Summary: Finally done with his father, Adrien finds being on his own a lot harder than he anticipated. Thankfully, an old friend offers him a job, even if it wasn't quite what he expected.Updates every Sunday.





	1. Chapter 1

Adrien Agreste stared at the bright red FINAL NOTICE in his hands and felt like curling up in a ball and dying. He had only been out of his father's house for three months and everything was already falling apart, just like Gabriel had said they would. 

"Fuck," he swore instead. 

In his twenties, he just couldn't take it anymore. He hated modeling, his diet, and his schedule. He had gotten his degree in business because that was what Gabriel wanted. But even after graduating, Adrien was restricted to being the stupid perfect face and nothing else. 

He just couldn't do it anymore. So with Nino and Plagg's encouragement, he quit. 

His father had cut him off in retaliation. 

Adrien had left, swearing to him that he would not need Gabriel for anything that he would rather be on the streets than to ever be stuck under his thumb again. And as Adrien looked over his mounting bills, that was probably going to be the case. 

Groaning, he sunk down into his couch. He had no clue what he was going to do. He had no real work experience, Gabriel had him blacklisted in the fashion industry, and all his other attempts at finding any kind of work and keeping a job all ended in disaster. 

According to his kwami, he was a human disaster. And Adrien was inclined to agree.

"Being an adult sucks," he complained. Plagg gave him a blank stare from his perch on top of the sofa but was otherwise uncharacteristically quiet, which only made Adrien feel worse. 

Thankfully, he didn't have time to sulk about his depressive situation when his phone started to ring. He blindly grabbed for it on top of his coffee table. He had sent out his resume to probably a hundred companies, hopefully, one was calling him back. 

But it was only Nino's contact photo that greeted him. He quickly answered anyways. "I'm going to be homeless, Nino, homeless." 

"Chill dude, we've all been there," Nino replied, hoping to ease the blonde's nerves. Adrien snorted in response and Nino quickly amended, "Okay, maybe not quite where you're at. What happened with that job at that office?" 

Adrien rolled his eyes and said, "I don't want to talk about it." 

"You're hopeless dude." 

"Nino!" He knew he was hopeless but that didn't mean he needed to hear about it. What he needed right now was a job. 

"Well, if you are really as desperate as you say, Marinette, is looking for some help," Nino replied. "You remember, Marinette, right?" 

That was a name Adrien hadn't heard in a long time. But of course, he remembered what was probably the sweetest, most genuine girl he had ever met. 

Unfortunately, during lycee, his father's severe personality had only gotten worse. He had sent him to London, then China, and then New York. It was only when he got back to Paris a year ago that he was able to reconnect with Nino, and that had been by complete accident. 

He had heard brief, jealous whisperings of a young upstart stealing high profile clients though. He had instinctively known it was her, she was too talented and hardworking not to make it. He hadn't known she and Nino still kept in contact though. He wished he had asked earlier. But with Nino and Alya no longer together, he hadn't wanted to pry too much. 

He really didn't want to model again, but Marinette was the exception. 

"Whatever it is, I'll take it, but do you think she would help me? My father has me blacklisted," Adrien asked, trying not to get his hopes up too much. 

Nino chuckled on the other side and said, "It's Marinette, dude. She'd help you in a heartbeat. And she hates your dad, so that's a plus." 

He hadn't known that. He had thought Gabriel was her idol back in school. 

"You're a lifesaver, Nino." 

"Don't thank me yet. I'll give her a call and pass on your info," he replied. 

Adrien felt like a huge weight had just been lifted off his shoulders. And he found himself looking forward to reconnecting with his old classmate. 

* * *

Marinette set her phone down as she tried to process the conversation, she just had with one of her oldest friends, Nino Lahiffe. 

Adrien Agreste, her old college crush, needed a job and was interested in filling her current opening. Honestly, she wasn't too sure he would be interested or much of a fit. That wasn't to say she didn't have any faith in him, but it had been years since she had last seen him. She trusted Nino's judgment though. He knew how important the position was to her. 

"What do you think, Tikki," she asked the kwami, who was sitting at her desk, nibbling on a macaroon that was at least twice her size. 

"Adrien was always a nice young man. I think you can trust him," she mumbled with a mouth full of cookie. 

Marinette smiled fondly at the little creature before looking back down at her tablet. Fashion Week was fast approaching, and she really needed help. This year would be the official debut of her line, and she needed to keep the momentum going if MDC was going to be able to sustain itself. 

She opened up her email and typed a quick meeting request to Adrien for the next day, before scrolling through the rest of her messages. She was surprised to see a response back not even five minutes later. 

Nothing else pressing popped out to her, and while she had plans to review her designs she found she was feeling rather restless. Glancing down at her watch, she mentally calculated the time. If she left now, she could be at the school on time. 

She moved to grab her coat when a rather large binder was dumped onto her desk. She nearly jumped out of her chair and a quick glance towards the corner of her desk showed that Tikki had already made herself scarce. 

Huffing, she glared up at her partner, Chloe Bourgeois.

Marinette had never seemed to be able to escape the blonde menace. The two had ended up at the same lycee together as well as interning at the same fashion house. Chloe's expertise lied more in the business aspect and together they had all the right connections. So they had decided to go into business together. 

Marinette was the head designer and so the brand was named after her, which Chloe surprisingly didn’t put up a fight for. It helped that she was trying to get back at her mother and didn't want the business to be in any way related to Audrey. 

"Where do you think you're going, we still have a lot more to go over if we're going to be ready for Fashion Week," Chloe grumbled as she looked down at Marinette. "I had to fire Jac this morning and Renee is swamped as it is. The stupid fabric company sent the wrong bolts and we still need to get the seating order arranged." 

"Chill, Chlo. We have been planning for this since we started MDC. Just assign Celia to Renee and have Lapin go to the warehouse himself," Marinette easily replied. Normally she was the one having the anxious fits, which would probably get worse the day of. But she knew how important this was to Chloe as well. The whole world would be watching them, her mother included. 

"I don't get how you of all people are so calm about his," Chloe remarked as she slowly sank down into one of the plush chairs in front of Marinette's desk. 

Marinette shrugged, being Ladybug had certainly helped her confidence over the years. And while she did still have the habit of spiraling, she had something to ground her now. 

"Hey, you'll never guess who I'm interviewing tomorrow," Marinette spoke, changing the subject. 

Chloe took one of Tikki's macaroons and asked, "You finally found someone that meets your ridiculously high standards." 

Rolling her eyes, she ignored the comment and spoke, "Not that you’re really one to talk about high standards, but Nino called me earlier today." 

"Ugh, you're still friends with that dork," Chloe replied before plopping the cookie into her mouth. 

"Chloe," Marinette said with a slight warning to her tone. While they could be called friends on a good day, she didn't tolerate the other girl's attitude towards anyone she considered beneath her. Chloe had grown up a lot, but she hadn't changed all that much. "I'm meeting with Adrien Agreste tomorrow." 

Marinette took satisfaction in watching Chloe's eyes widen comically as she sat up straight from her chair. "What? No way!" 

"I was surprised as well. I didn't even realize he was back in Paris," she spoke. 

"We should have asked him to walk next week then," Chloe spoke, her brow furrowing as she mentally began to draw up plans. 

"The look on Gabriel's face would have been priceless," Marinette agreed. "But he seems to be done with modeling and the fashion world." 

"And he's interested in your post," Chloe said, disbelief evident on her face. 

Marinette shrugged and said, "That's what Nino told me." 


	2. Chapter 2

Adrien anxiously fiddled with the cuff of his sleeves as he waited for Marinette to arrive. He had gotten to the café almost an hour early. As he finished ordering his third cup of coffee, an expense he probably should have been more mindful about, he wondered if she still had the habit of running late. He had fond memories of watching her attempt to sneak into class, only to get caught every time. 

He missed his college years. It was probably the only time, aside from being Chat Noir that he had been happy since his mother's death. 

The bell chimed and for the ninth time that hour, he looked over towards the door. 

He recognized her the moment she stepped inside. She was still the same height from the last time he had seen her. Her dark hair was styled into a messy bun, and she was wearing an expertly fitted red dress and a black blazer, no doubt all her own design. 

She looked amazing. 

Ladybug came to mind, but he shook the thought away. Now was definitely not the time for that. 

"Ma-Marinette, you look great," Adrien said, a slight stutter to his words. He awkwardly hovered in front of her, not sure whether to attempt a hug or just offer his hand. 

She decided for him and gave him a friendly, one-armed hug. But it was enough to catch her floral perfume mixed with the sugary smell from her family's bakery that he had come to associate with her in school. 

"Adrien, it's really good to see you again," she said, smiling brightly at him. 

He returned the smile before patiently waiting as she ordered. Once they both had their drinks, he led her towards the table he had been occupying, his messenger bag saving his spot. 

"How have you been, Marinette, or should I be calling you Mme. Dupain-Cheng," he asked as he rubbed the back of his neck. It was a nervous tick he had never quite been able to get rid of, no matter how hard his father had tried. “I mean you are going to be my employer. Hopefully? And when I was modeling there were always rumors about you going around.”

She gave him a blank look and he winced. “I mean, not that they were bad rumors. My dad and some of the others did always talk about an upstart designer, which is you.”

He was screwing this up so bad. And Plagg’s snickering only frazzled his nerves even more. But still, he tried to salvage this conversation. “No not like that, I mean they did say that. But they were just jealous.”

"Extremely busy”, she answered his first question and thankfully ignored his awkward rambling as she gave him a reassuring smile. “Marinette is fine. Even if I hire you, it would be too weird for you to call anything but my name.”

He flashed her a relieved smile and she continued talking. “Fashion Week is almost here so things have been crazy. One of our models just dropped out, Chloe's on a firing rampage, my nanny just quit, and the stupid warehouse sent over the wrong bolts of fabric," she answered, looking a little out of breath as she went on about work. 

Adrien loathed Fashion Week. His father and Nathalie became a hundred times worse during that time of year. He certainly didn't miss it. "That all feels pretty common during Fashion Week. I've seen some of your work. You are an amazing designer...Wait, Chloe?" 

"You didn't know," Marinette asked eyes wide as she took a sip of her drink. "We started this venture together. She's more business savvy than I'll ever be." 

"I'm a little surprised you two haven't killed each other yet," he replied with a laugh, recalling his college days.

"It's come pretty close to that some nights," she cheekily answered. "She would probably love to catch up with you." 

"That would be nice," he said. "But uh, we didn't come here to talk about old friends. I have my resume. I promise you, I'll work hard for you." 

He pulled his resume out from his bag and handed it to her. 

"Are you sure about this Adrien," she asked, grabbing the offered paper. She skimmed through the words as she spoke, "Nino said you would be great for the job, but I didn't think it would seem like something you would be interested in." 

"Of course, Marinette! I'll show you that I'm more than just a pretty face. I’ll work hard and I won't let you down," Adrien passionately said, shooting up from his seat and knocking over his chair. 

Marinette's eyes widened as she looked up at the blond. She had long let go of her old college crush, but damn if she didn't feel some of those old feelings as the butterflies in her stomach fluttering wildly. 

Ignoring any old romantic feelings, she went with her instincts. "Are you fine with a one-week trial before you are officially hired? You will need to meet Hugo and Louis first. They have a big say in it since you will be working _with_ them. But don't let them think you work _for _them because you don't." 

She stressed the last part. The two terrors had pulled that over on the last nanny. 

Adrien nodded his head as he picked up his chair and sat back down. He had worked for other models and photographers with similar temperaments. But his last name always got people to back off. 

"Don't worry, Marinette, I know how to hold my own," he replied with a bright smile, pointing a thumbs up at himself as he pumped out his chest. 

Marinette bit her cheek to keep from laughing. He had no idea what he was in for. "Alright. I'll have a contract drawn up. It is a live-in position, so this week's trial will be just as much for your benefit as mine." 

Adrien happily nodded his head, until the last part clicked. 

Live-in? 

"The position requires you to work Mondays through Saturdays. You will have Saturday evenings to yourself, and Sundays and Wednesdays will be your days off. You will be in charge of maintaining the schedules and making appointments as needed," she explained. "You will also be responsible for lunches and occasionally some dinners." 

Oh, the position was similar to the one Nathalie used to hold for his father before she abruptly quit. He could handle that, no problem. Marinette was nothing like his father. And at least he wouldn't be in front of a camera. 

Using the back of his resume, she wrote a number down and circled it. "That will be your starting salary." 

Adrien nearly swallowed his tongue. She had to be an angel or some similar angelic being. He could have kissed her at that moment. "I promise you won't regret this, Marinette." 

* * *

Adrien sat on the roof of his apartment building, enjoying the cool night air. Plagg was nestled comfortably in his hair, giving off faint snores. He had always loved how the city lit up at night. And he longed for the days when he had Ladybug beside him, and they would take in the view together. 

He still followed the Ladyblog diligently, though it was rare it gave any substantial reports. Hawkmoth had been defeated nearly a decade ago and Mayura a year afterward. But that didn't quell the city's love for Ladybug despite there not being any more villains to face. She was Paris' sweetheart and people still loved to post the rare sightings of her or the random article of her stopping some petty crime. 

There had been some speculation years ago that she had seemed to finally retire. There had been no reported sightings, only a couple of articles about what may have happened to her for about a while.

And then, almost out of nowhere, she was back in Paris.

For the most part, he had figured out her pattern, the days she would be spotted by the public. There was always a Saturday night appearance about once a month, which was due for that very night. And from what he gathered, she still took the old route patrols. 

It would be so easy for him to suit up, to be Chat Noir and follow after her. 

He let out a long, drawn-out sigh as he stared at his silver ring. 

He had burnt that bridge a long time ago. 


	3. Chapter 3

Marinette looked between the two boys in front of her, both wearing identical guilty looks. Very few could tell the two terrors apart. They each had a mop of messy, brown hair that they refused to let her cut, bright green eyes, and a slew of freckles across their noses.

Hugo was the oldest of the two, born exactly twelve minutes before Louis. Though he acted more like he was twelve years older, and it drove Louis crazy. Louis was the more outgoing of the two and loved to be the center of attention.

Normally, they were usually well behaved if a little mischievous.

Well, not according to the last three nannies she had attempted to hire. But that was neither here nor there.

Pinching the bridge of her nose in a vain attempt to quell her pounding head, she said, "Go get your bags, your grandparents will be here soon."

Looking at the broken vase left in the living room, she slowly began to pick up. By the time she had finished, her parents were letting themselves into her apartment and Hugo and Louis came barreling back into the room.

It was a Saturday night, and every other Saturday the two stayed with her parents. It used to be every weekend until they had settled on their current system. The sleepovers had started out as a way to help transition the boys and her parents when they had first moved out of the bakery. Now it was a tradition and it offered her a much needed night to herself.

She shared a smile with her mother as she watched her boys practically tackle their grandfather. Tom laughed heartily as he easily picked the two up into a bone crushing hug. They squealed with laughter before her dad set them back down.

She pulled both boys towards her as she kneeled to their level. She made sure to press a kiss to each of their cheeks before they left. While Louis made a face, Hugo soaked up the attention.

"Be good. And make sure to take it easy on your grandfather, he's not as young as he used to be," Marinette said, ruffling their hair as she shared a wink with her mother.

Tom spluttered, indignant that he could not handle his grandsons. "Nonsense. The day I can't play with my grandsons is the day you may as well as put me in an old folk's home."

"I'll keep all three of them in line, don't you worry, honey," Sabine promised her daughter.

Nodding her head, she walked them out before heading to her own room to change into her most comfortable sweats.

Chloe had gone into overdrive at work and was driving everyone crazy. Marinette let her be as the panic was slowly starting to steep in and she started second-guessing all of her designs.

Tonight, would help to quell some of that anxiety.

She made her way towards her balcony, where she could see her parents strapping the kids into the back seat of their car before driving off.

She looked around one last time, making sure that there were no prying eyes.

"Tikki, spots on."

As soon as she was transformed, she leaped off the balcony and swung her yo-yo out. She worked on autopilot as she leapt through the night. Years ago, being Ladybug had only been a burden to her. Now that things had settled, she reveled in the chance to suit up.

She easily swung from building to building. The wind in her face and the adrenaline running through her veins.

It was exhilarating.

She took her usual route and avoided the Eiffel Tower and came to a rest on a building near the Seine. It was her go-to spot after everything that had happened.

With all the building lights, the water practically glowed giving it an ethereal feeling. It was beautiful and lonely all at the same time.

* * *

Adrien looked down at his phone, double-checking that he had the right apartment. The doorman had looked at him a little suspiciously and for a moment Adrien didn't think he was about to be let in. But before he could message Marinette, he was buzzed into the building.

He gave the doorman what he thought was his best smile, only to get a glare in return. He quickly snapped his gaze in front of him as he pressed the up button on the elevators.

Marinette's apartment was on the top floor of the building. The elevator ride seemed too slow and too fast all at once. Making his way towards her apartment door, he took a deep breath before knocking.

He wasn’t even sure why he was so nervous. Marinette had been just as amazing and sweet as when they were kids. Plus, she seemed more confident, more sure of herself, and he was looking forward to rekindling that friendship. Even if their dynamics would be different now.

He heard some rustling from the other side along with a loud thud, like something had been knocked over. There was some grumbling and he could have sworn he heard a high pitch laugh. But before he could think much about it, the door was being thrown open.

"Adrien, you're early," Marinette spoke, slightly out of breath with a bright smile. She looked adorably disheveled, wearing an oversized, pale pink sweater and dark jeans.

She gestured for him to walk-in, and he dragged his rolling suitcase behind him as he did so. With his free hand, he rubbed the back of his neck as he said, "Sorry, is that a bad thing."

"Don't apologize. You're great, I mean it's great you're punctual. Kw-Lord knows I'm never on time for anything,” she said as she led him into the living room. There was a large balcony attached, with a couple of cozy looking lawn chairs on the terrace.

The apartment was spacious and tastefully decorated. Past the living room, he could see the kitchen and a dining room. “You have a really nice place here, Marinette.”

“Thanks. I got it from Jagged at a great price. He got tired of staying at the Grand Hotel, so he got this place. But then he wanted something bigger,” she explained. “He actually tried to just give it to me, but I couldn’t let him do that.”

Adrien nodded his head, not surprised that she and Jagged Stone were still close. Or that she wouldn’t accept such an expensive gift. Marinette really was one of a kind.

"So, Hugo and Louis will be here soon. But I thought it would be best to give you a tour before they get here. And show you your room, of course."

“Okay, sounds great,” he said, his brow scrunching a bit in confusion at the thought of Hugo and Louis coming over. That could have waited another day, but she was the boss and he followed her lead.

The first room she led him was down a hall by itself. She opened the door but didn’t move to enter so neither did he.

“This is my office slash workroom. Nobody but me is allowed in here,” she said, a warning in her eyes that had Adrien obediently nodding his head.

It looked pretty average as far as home offices went, only more pink. On one side, there was a mannequin and a work table set up with a sewing machine and bolts of fabric. And on the other was a desk by a large window with a computer, a couple of pictures that he couldn’t really make out, and an old, wooden sewing box sat on the shelf. There was something about it though that drew his attention.

But Marinette was already closing the door and moving to walk down the next hall before he could get a better look. “Next room is a bathroom, that’s a hall closet. My room is the last one down the hall to the left, the boys’ on the opposite side, and yours is right here.”

She opened the door to another spacious room. It was plainly decorated with light blue walls and a large bed. There was a closet to the side and a set of basic dressers, and a large TV mounted on the wall.

“I’ll let you get settled and call for you once Hugo and Louis get here,” she said and closed the door.

Adrien mumbled a quiet, okay, before face-planting on the bed. He couldn’t stop thinking about the box. It was calling to him and he had no idea why. He was sure he had never seen it before.

Plagg shot out from his shirt, making himself at home on one of the pillows. He was unusually quiet.

He took out his cell phone and decided to text Nino. He had wanted to know how his first day went. He shot a quick text before tossing the phone onto the bed.

He started to unzip his suitcase and unpack a few of his things. He had just bought some clothes and a laptop. He hoped after the week, Marinette would hire him full time and he could add some personal touches to the room.

He had just finished putting away the last of his clothes when he was being called into the living room. He walked the short distance and for a moment all he saw was the back of Marinette. She was bending over, saying something in hushed tones.

“Ugh, Marinette,” he spoke up, rounding the rest of the corner.

She immediately popped up and turned to face him, letting out a giggle that was a little too high pitched to be natural. She took a step to the side and Adrien was met with the scowling faces of two identical, small boys.

"Adrien, these are my sons, Hugo and Louis," she said. She gestured towards the boys to him and then vice versa. Her words had shocked his system, but it was her next sentence that nearly sent his heart into palpitations. "Boys, this is your new nanny, Adrien Agreste. He's an old friend of mine from college, so be nice."

Adrien was going to kill Nino.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a fun chapter to write so I thought I would share it early.

Marinette had actually left him alone in the living room with the two boys while she cooked dinner.

She left him alone.

He, the human disaster, with two kids he was now kind of in charge of.

He had always liked children and had always thought he would have a couple of his own one day. He had fantasized about that very scenario with Ladybug for most of his teen years. But he had never spent much time around them.

Hell, he was having trouble wrapping his head around the fact that Marinette had a son, let alone two of them.

Nino had never said she was married, and there were no traces of a husband or boyfriend in the apartment. Which made no sense to Adrien, because what kind of person would leave someone as amazing as Marinette.

He found himself staring and being stared at by the two boys. They were almost completely identical, and Adrien was worried about getting them mixed up. They shared Marinette's face shape, had her ears and sprinkle of freckles across their noses. Their messy brown hair (which his own father would have never let look so unkempt) could have easily come from Tom. But their green eyes had to have come from the father.

The one on the left, was Hugo. He was dressed more like a fashion designer’s child, wearing black chino shorts and a red, long sleeved polo. Next to him, Louis, wore a black hoodie with a t-rex, and green athletic shorts. Neither of Adrien's parents would have let him out of the house in an outfit like that when he was a kid.

Both set of green eyes narrowed at him, and he had to resist the urge to gulp. Swallowing down the lump in his throat, he tried his best smile and he spoke, “Hi. Feel free to call me, Adrien. Never really like the sound of M. Agreste.”

Hugo said nothing, just continued to glare at him.

Louis at least nodded his head and said, “Sure thing, M. Agreste.”

He felt his smile tighten but tried again. “Since we will be spending a lot of time together, is there anything you want to know about me?”

Hugo still continued to stare at him, greatly unnerving Adrien. And it was again, Louis who spoke, “Why does your hair look like bananas?”

“Uhh…”

“If your maman’s friend, why haven’t we met you before?” Louis continued. “You don’t seem as cool as Uncle Nino Or Aunt Alix, and she has a snake on her arm. Do you have an animal on your arm?”

Adrien shook his head, ‘no’ and both boys scrunched up their noses and stuck out their tongues in disgust. “Uncool,” they chorused together.

“I’m plenty cool,” Adrien said, trying to defend himself. He pointed to the kid’s hoodie and said, “Since you like dinosaurs, what do you call a dinosaur that is sleeping?”

He didn’t give them time before answering, “A dino-snore. Haha, get it?”

Hugo buried his face in a pillow and Louis just raised an eyebrow at him. Adrien was sure he had never felt so judged in his life.

“You want to hear a good joke,” Louis asked. He didn’t wait for Adrien to reply before saying, “You’re life.”

Adrien was glad, Plagg had stayed behind in his room. He doubted he would ever be able to live this down. Thankfully, Marinette was calling them to dinner, and he followed the two into the dining room, where she had already set out a very delicious looking spread.

He and Marinette sat opposite of the two boys, with Adrien sitting across from Hugo. At least he mostly ignored him.

The food alone almost made all the humiliation worth it. He had learned the basics of cooking, but he was nowhere near her level.

“I took the day off tomorrow, so I will be walking you through their normal schedules,” Marinette spoke, in between bites. Both boys instantly lit up at the new, and Adrien couldn’t help but feel a pang in his heart.

“You’re taking us to school, maman,” Hugo eagerly asked while he and Louis looked up at her in anticipation.

She smiled and nodded her head. “Yes my little bugs. And as long as your Aunt Chloe doesn’t fire anyone else this week, I should be able to pick you boys up as well.”

Adrien snorted into his glass, careful not to spill any water. It was still hard for him to wrap his head around that Marinette and Chloe were actually close friends. And apparently close enough that her kids called Chloe, aunt.

“Aunt Chloe set someone on fire,” Hugo spoke, eyes wide.

Louis slammed his fist on the table and said, “Cool!”

“No, not that kind of fire,” Marinette said as she shot Adrien a wry smile which he eagerly returned. “And setting anyone on fire is not cool, Louis.”

* * *

"What the hell, Nino," Adrien quietly screamed into his phone once he was sure that everyone was asleep. Dinner, thankfully hadn’t been as bad as his one on one time with the kids had been which was probably only due to Marinette’s presence.

His soon to be ex-best friend's laughter from the other side only fueled Adrien's ire. "Why didn't you tell me what the job was?"

It took longer than Adrien cared for Nino's laughter to finally calm enough so he could answer, "Honestly, when I first brought it up, I just forgot. And I thought she would have been more clear in the interview."

Adrien rolled his eyes and pressed further. "And what about afterwards. When I told you that it was practically, Nathalie's, old position?"

"I didn't think you would take it if I told you," Nino honestly said. And before Adrien could reply, Nino spoke again. "Listen, dude, you got this. Hugo and Louis are great. And you're a natural with kids."

"Am not. And they hate me, Nino," Adrien whined, flopping onto the bed.

"They don't hate you. They just don't know you yet," Nino reasoned, and that actually made Adrien feel a bit better. He had really thought he had blown it.

"What's the story, anyway? Where's the dad in all this," Adrien asked.

"You're gonna have to get the story from Marinette, dude" Nino said. "But I will say that the dad isn’t’ in the picture. Never has been."

"Oh."

"Yeah. Listen, I gotta go. I have to be on set in twenty minutes. I'll call you tomorrow, but don’t stress. You are gonna do great," Nino said before hanging up.

His words really helped to calm his nerves, until Plagg decided to add his own two cents.

"Those kids are going to eat you alive," the little shit cackled.

Adrien gave him a blank look and threw a pillow at him, which Plagg easily phased through. "No cheese for you."

He smiled at Plagg's outraged, no.


	5. Chapter 5

Adrien was an early riser, all mostly due to his father’s insane schedules growing up. But even now that he had broken free of the man, it was a habit he didn’t think he could break even if he wanted to. He stumbled out of the bed, tangled in his sheets and nearly falling over.

Plagg still curled up on one of the pillows, opened one green eye at his fumbling before and went right back to sleep.

Rolling his eyes, Adrien quickly got ready for the day. Thankfully, he had a bathroom to himself, connected to his room. He took a quick shower, brushed his teeth and spent a little too long in his towel as he debated what to wear.

Marinette hadn’t given him a dress code, and while he didn’t think she would be as critical of his fashion choices as his father, he wanted to impress her. But he also didn’t want to go overboard. In the end, he went with a pair of casual blue pants, a grey henley, and his grey cardigan.

He checked his phone and saw that it was still pretty early, just a little after six a.m.

It didn’t seem like anyone else was up yet, he hadn’t heard any commotion from outside his door. He peeked outside his door, and when he didn’t see anyone he decided to check out the kitchen.

Breakfast food, he could handle cooking, no problem. The ingredients and recipes were usually straight forward enough for him to handle. He wasn’t surprised to see that Marinette had a fully stocked kitchen. Rolling up his sleeves, he quickly got to work on making some pancakes.

He was finished his first stack when one of the boys tumbled in, wearing red pajamas with a cartoon character that he didn’t recognize. He was mostly sure it was Hugo.

The kid paused mid-yawn when he noticed him.

Trying his luck, Adrien cheerfully greeted him. “Good morning Hugo! Want some breakfast?”

Hugo blinked a couple of times before slowly nodded his head, and Adrien resisted the urge to fist pump. He had been right, and the kid was responding.

“I’m just about done here. Will your mom or brother be up soon,” Adrien asked as he flipped another pancake.

Hugo shrugged.

“We can be the Breakfast Club then.” Adrien joked, grinning as he nudged the younger boy with his elbow. Hugo just looked at him, and Adrien sighed. “Guess that one’s a little old for you. Umm, how old are you by the way?”

For a moment, Adrien didn’t think he was going to answer as the silence between them stretched. But Hugo climbed onto one of the stools and took a pancake. “I’m fi-five, bbuuuut ne-next month I’m gonna be thisssssss many,” he stuttered. He stuffed the waffle in his mouth and held up six fingers.

“Oh wow, six years old already,” Adrien said, his eyes wide as he smiled at the kid, tactfully choosing to ignore the stuttering. He knew he never liked it when his father disdainfully pointed out his ticks.

“Yep, and before I know it, they’ll be leaving me for university,” Marinette piped up as she walked into the kitchen, ruffling Hugo’s hair. She was already dressed for the day. “You made breakfast!”

Adrien rubbed the back of his neck. “Yes, I hope you don’t mind.”

“That’s great. I’m usually not up this early, I had to set like ten alarms,” she replied, grabbing a pancake. “So today, I’ll be showing you to the school. I’ve already updated them and added you to the pick-up list,” Marinette said in-between bites as she listed off their day. “You’ll be going to the office with me and I can go over their schedules and some of the things you’ll be doing when they are at school.”

He eagerly nodded his head.

Breakfast went by pretty fast after that, with Louis sleepily making his way to the table. Adrien cleaned up while Marinette got the twins ready for the day. And before he knew it, they were making the short trek to the twin’ elementary school.

Louis barely spared him a glance the whole time, but Adrien didn’t take it too personally. The kid kept yawning and looked like he could barely keep his eyes open.

Adrien stood awkwardly beside Marinette as the boys gave her a hug before they raced back each other into the school. At the entryway, Hugo turned back and waved towards him.

He waved back. Maybe Nino was right, and he would be able to do this.

He and Marinette continued on their way after they were safe in the school, stopping at a coffee cart a couple of blocks away.

“So, Hugo?” Adrien had waited until they were a good distance away from the school before asking.

“Yes, it’s been hard on him,” Marinette replied with a sigh before taking a long sip of her coffee before continuing, “but he’s getting better with the stuttering. The school works with him, but he avoids public speaking and to new people,”

Adrien’s brow scrunched up in confusion. “He was fine last night at dinner.”

Marinette shrugged. “At home, with me and his brother and at the bakery, those are his comfort zones.”

“Oh.” And now Adrien felt horrible for ruining one of those places for the kid.

Marinette knocked her shoulder into him, garnering his attention. She gave him a smile and spoke as if she knew what he was thinking. “Don’t feel guilty, I was going to hire someone either way. And he was able to speak fine with you there at the table. He didn’t even speak to the last nanny.”

“Though she also didn’t even last a week,” Marinette spoke mostly to herself but Adrien still heard. He hadn’t really wondered why there had been a vacancy, but now he was getting curious.

He didn’t have much time to ponder as Marinette spoke, “Oh, Chloe knows you’re coming by this morning. After we’re done going over the schedule, be prepared.”

“Sounds ominous.” Adrien chuckled. But knowing Chloe, she probably already made big plans for them.


	6. Chapter 6

There was a lot of security for a budding fashion house, Adrien thought as he was buzzed in by security only after Marinette had swiped a key card.

“We have many famous clients.” Marinette explained, seemingly reading his mind as they walked past the foyer. The building was brightly and vibrantly decorated, nothing like Gabriel’s. “And Jagged has some pretty intense fans.”

“They were tame compared to Clara’s stalker,” Kim piped up, raising from the security desk. He was dressed in a standard security uniform, with a pair of dark sunglasses resting on his head.

Marinette hummed her agreement, suppressing the urge to shudder. She had nearly intervened as Ladybug in that situation. “You remember, Kim. He somehow ended up as our head of security.”

“Aww, don’t be like that DC. You know seeing me is the best part of your day,” Kim replied, throwing an arm around the much shorter girl’s shoulders. “Good to see you back in Paris, man.”

He held out a fist for Adrien to fist bump, which he happily did.

“Right, it’s you and not my kids who make my day,” Marinette dryly replied before pushing him away from her. “We’ll be in my office. Tell Chloe I’ll send him her way once I’m done.”

Kim laughed and nudged her with his elbow. “Never took you as the sharing type.”

“I will fire you.” Marinette huffed, her face flushing a bright red. She grabbed Adrien’s arm, leading him towards the elevator, Kim’s laughter following them. She dropped his arm once they entered and she pressed the top floor.

It was a surprise to see Kim, but not an unwelcome one. Though he had never been as close to the other boy, he was always fun to be around when they were kids. And he wondered who else Marinette had kept in touch with since college.

He soon had his answer when a familiar head of pink hair skated their way. Alix was taller than the last time he had seen her, but it could have mostly been the skates she was wearing. There was an outline of an impressive-looking snake tattoo on her arm.

“Nette, just in time,” Alix spoke, rolling up to them. She eyed him curiously as she handed Marinette a large envelope and a clipboard. “What’s up, centerfold? Chloe mentioned you were back in town.”

Adrien waved awkwardly while Marinette signed the clipboard and tucked the envelope under her arm. “She should be getting in about now if you want to wait in her office.”

“Why would I want to do that.” Alix crossed her arms, looking anywhere but the two.

Adrien watched on, confused as Marinette nodded her head and said, “Her office is unlocked by the way.”

Marinette unlocked her own office and lead him inside. “She and Chloe have…something going on,” Marinette quietly spoke with a shrug, as she closed the door.

Like her home, Marinette’s office radiated warmth. The walls were pastel pink, with original sketches and photos of Marinette and some of her clients. She took a seat behind her desk and Adrien followed her lead and sat in one of the plush chairs in front. Next to her computer, there was a jar of macaroons and pictures of Hugo and Louis.

“I’ve made a general list of job duties,” Marinette said as she rummaged through her desk before handing him a tablet. Adrien swiped it open and found a couple of documents saved to it. “On there is a list of emergency numbers, who to call in case of what, and pretty much anything you might find useful.”

She had all her basics covered. There was a grocery list and notes of foods to avoid, her parent’s contact numbers, and first aid information. As well as a calendar with her schedule, the twins, and even her parents.

“Mondays, Louis has an art class. On Tuesday and Thursdays, they both have soccer practice, which my dad will take them on Thursdays. And on Wednesdays, Hugo has guitar lessons after school at a local music shop,” Marinette explained. It was a much lighter schedule than he had when he was at that age. “Hugo’s good about getting his homework done. Louis needs a bit of prodding and he usually needs help with math and science.”

Adrien smiled confidently at her. He could handle this. “This all seems manageable.

“Great. Any time you have questions or something’s on your mind, let me know,” she spoke, her gaze lingering a photo of her hugging the two boys. “Hugo and Louis, they’re my world.”

There wasn’t much to talk about after that. Marinette had meetings to get to so he made his way toward Chloe’s office.

Her office was a stark contrast to Marinette’s cozy one. No surprise, she had gone with a pale-yellow color. Her walls were decorated with high-end fashion photos and framed magazine covers. Everything was neater and more orderly.

There was also no one in the office.

Figuring he would just wait, he plopped down on the couch she kept in there and decided to flip through the tablet. Plagg took the moment to pop out from his shirt. He settled on Adrien’s shoulder, watching as he swiped through the documents.

“You sure you up for this, kid,” Plagg asked. Personally, he was looking forward to being near Tikki and the others again.

“Of course. I can handle this,” he stubbornly replied.

Plagg wondered if Adrien believed his own words or if he thought saying them over and over again would make them true, as he hid back in Adrien’s shirt.

“Adrikens, it’s been too long,” Chloe screeched, her office door slamming open and Adrien nearly dropped the tablet. He clutched tightly to it as the blond threw herself at him, enveloping him in a bone-crushing hug.

“It’s uh, really good to see you too, Chlo,” Adrien awkwardly replied. His arms were trapped at his sides, so he couldn’t really return the hug. After what felt like an eternity, she pulled back and the two sat together on the couch.

“Where’d Alix go,” he asked.

Chloe shouldered stiffened for a moment, before relaxing. “Forget about that tomboy. Tell me why it’s been so long since we last talked?”

Adrien shrugged, looking guiltily down at his hands. After leaving Paris, he had cut everyone off. It just seemed easier that way. Eventually, he plastered on his best model smile and answered her. “I honestly hadn’t meant to, but you know how my dad was when we left.”

Her gaze narrowed and though she had easily met his gaze, it was like she was looking right through him. She didn’t call him out though, just nodded her head and changed the subject.

“Well, we have loads to catch up on. I freed up my morning, but then it’s back to work. Someone has to tell these people how to do things, and Fashion Week it’s just around the corner.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wasn't too happy with this chapter, which is why it's late. But things should pick up after this.


	7. Chapter 7

After catching up with Chloe, which was mostly her bragging about everything she had accomplished after lycee, Adrien’s day at MDC had gone surprisingly fast. He and Chloe had had lunch at a café that was close by. And when they had gotten back, Kim had given him a tour of the whole building, before leaving him in Marinette’s empty office while she finished up a meeting.

He spent most of his remaining time pouring over the tablet and ignoring Plagg’s commentary over his shoulder. So engrossed in his reading, he didn’t even notice Plagg suddenly dart into his sweater or that he had stopped talking.

It was only when there was a hand, waving over the tablet that he looked up to see Marinette standing over him. Quickly standing up, he tucked the tablet under his arm. “Sorry about that, Marinette. Were you saying something?”

“It’s time to pick up the twins,” she replied with a smile. She already had her purse slung over her shoulder.

He nodded his head and followed her out of the building. He didn’t get a chance to see Chloe again, but he did get to wave goodbye to Kim. It was a nice walk to the school, and he made sure to commit the way to memory.

“Normally, once the twins are out, we walk to the art studio” Marinette spoke up, catching Adrien’s attention as they stood just outside the school. “Louis’ lessons with Nathaniel run for about an hour. And he’ll usually let you use one of the spare rooms to work on homework with Hugo in the meantime. But he called me earlier to cancel.”

“Nathaniel? From college?” Adrien was not expecting to see so many of his old classmates when he returned to Paris. He thought it would have been nice, but he hadn’t expected much. “Have you kept up with everyone since school, Marinette?”

She shrugged. For the most part, she knew where everyone had ended up and she had never thought much about it. “Mostly, I guess. A lot of us didn’t really go that far.”

Made sense. When he had transferred into their class in college, it had been hard trying to fit in as the outsider. But Alya never seemed to have that problem. “What about Alya? I just know she and Nino broke-up. He didn’t give any details and I didn’t want to pry.”

“Smart choice,” Marinette remarked. Nino and Alya’s break-up had not been pretty. The two had dated all the way through university. They had even been looking for a place together when Alya took the job out of France. “She’s a reporter in London but she takes on a lot of worldwide assignments. Right now, she’s somewhere in China.”

“Are you two still close?”

Marinette nodded. Alya had been with her through so much together. The distance couldn’t break their friendship. “You bet. I’ll usually see her during the holidays, and she likes to drop by randomly when she’s in town.”

He nodded his head, not surprised by the answer. He looked up just as the bell rang and it wasn’t long before the two boys were racing out the front door towards Marinette. They each latched onto one of her arms, Louis was babbling about his day while Hugo looked up at his mom. It was almost like he didn’t exist, and Adrien awkwardly walked beside them as they started their trek back home.

Hugo was the first to acknowledge him, offering him a tentative wave but didn’t speak. Louis just glanced at him before focusing his attention back to Marinette.

“Your teacher had to cancel today, Louis. But he left an assignment for you. He said to draw something that makes you feel happy,” Marinette said as they reached their building. “In fact, why doesn’t Adrien help you while I help Hugo with his homework?”

“No, I want your help, maman,” Louis cried, his grip tightening as he glared at Adrien as if it were his fault.

Marinette attempted to calm him down. “I can help you tomorrow, why don’t you let Adrien help you today?”

“NO!” Louis yelled, releasing his hold on her and stubbornly crossing his arms. “I don’t like him. He’s stupid!”

“Louis Dupain-Cheng,” Marinette calmly spoke, too calmly. Adrien quickly intervened before it became a much bigger deal than it was, even if Louis’ tantrum stung more than he was willing to admit.

“It’s fine, Marinette.”

But she shook her head. “No, it’s not. Louis, that was not very nice. Say you’re sorry to Adrien, you hurt his feelings.”

But he didn’t budge.

Sighing, Marinette turned to her other son. “Hugo, are you okay with Adrien helping you today?”

Adrien smiled reassuringly at the boy, not wanting him to feel pressured. “I’d love to help, but if you don’t want me to, that’s okay.”

The kid looked too serious as he stared at him as if considering his options before nodding his head.

Adrien released a breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding. He didn’t know if he could handle two rejections.

“Okay, Adrien why don’t you go ahead and take Hugo up? I’m going to have a talk with Louis,” Marinette asked, though he knew it really wasn’t a question.

“It’s really no big deal, Marinette.” Adrien tried to assure her.

She ignored him and said, “Go ahead, we’ll be right behind you.” Though she kept her gaze locked with Louis.

He let it drop and turned to Hugo. “Let’s head up. We can grab a snack before we start.”

Hugo surprised him when he took his hand as they were buzzed into the building. It was an awkward trip back into the apartment. But once they were in, he quickly got them settled at the dining room table before grabbing a couple of bananas. He had read earlier that they were one of his favorite after school snacks.

With a banana in each of his hands, he held them up in front of the five-year-old and joke, “What do you call two bananas?”

Again, he didn’t give Hugo a chance to answer before grinning and answering, “Slippers.”

Hugo quickly hid his face behind his book while Adrien laughed at his own joke. He peeled and gave the kid one of the bananas before looking over the assignment sheet. Hugo had a set of addition and subtraction problems to work on. And…Oh, he was meant to read a page of his book out loud. No wonder Marinette had suggested he originally help Louis.

While he thought over his options, the front door flew open. Louis, with puffy red eyes, slowly marched up to him.

“Sorry,” he mumbled before racing to his room.

Marinette looked apologetically at him. “I’m sorry about that. He’s a good kid and he knows better than to call people names.”

“It’s okay, Marinette, really.” Adrien tried to ease her conscience. He tried not to take Louis’ insult personally, he was still a stranger to the kid.

“Thanks,” she replied, ruffling Hugo’s hair. “I’m going to go help him get started with his homework, and then I’ll start dinner. Are you okay here?”

Adrien looked towards Hugo, who nodded his head and Adrien answered, “We’re good.” 


End file.
